The Best Scents for Your Home: 15 Tips from the Pros

Smell can play a huge role in influencing our mood. Just as certain paint colors can impact the way you perceive a room, fragrances can instantly elevate and set the room's tone. While many of us turn to candles, diffusers, and scent machines to waft aromas throughout our living spaces, there are some scents that are best suited for different parts of the home. To help kick off your home fragrance journey, we reached out to experts from Denver, CO, all the way to Regina, SK, to get their recommendations and best tips on how to make your house smell amazing. Here are the best scents to use in different spaces throughout your home: 

The best scents for the living room: neutral with hints of freshness and warmth

1) Comfy and cozy or fresh and clean. Diffusing ultra comforting and stress relieving essential oils like Geranium, Frankincense, or Clary Sage will create a cozy and relaxing environment for your living room. You can also try a fresh and clean combo of purifying and invigorating essential oils like Ravintsara, Peppermint, Lemon, or Grapefruit to a diffuser in your entryway to elevate the mood and welcome your guests. -Topsy Blends

2) Destress with relaxing coniferous essential oils. Forest bathing is the Japanese practice of relieving stress by spending time immersed in the sounds and scents of nature. If you’re not able to escape the urban jungle for a trip to the forest, bring the relaxing scents of the outdoors in by diffusing coniferous essential oils such as juniper, pine, spruce, fir, and cypress in your home. Breathe deeply and imagine yourself bathed in the fresh forest air. -Shannon Bachorick

3) Soft lavender, woodsy sandalwood, or warm vanilla. Want to turn your home into a zen, aromatic haven but have kids running the roost? Open a tub of Aroma Dough for your little ones infusing your home with rich, relaxing natural aromas of soft lavender, woodsy sandalwood, or warm vanilla. As the kids squeeze the modeling dough – the natural essential oils are infused into the air, bringing your home the zen you "knead". -Aroma Dough

4) Incorporate versatile and refreshing lemongrass scents. Feeling anxious or on-edge? The scent of lemongrass can help calm your nerves, release tension, and reduce anxiety. Lemongrass candles have a light, refreshing fragrance similar to fresh lemons or limes and blends well with other soothing scents like chamomile, lavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus. -National Candle Association

5) Bring the outdoors in by using scents that remind you of your favorite outdoor places. Scent is directly connected to memory and emotion, so bring back the memories of salty waves and sandy toes with scents like Ocean Driftwood and Sunny Daze. -Connect’d Candles

The best scents for the kitchen: bright citruses and cozy spices

6) For sanguine and choleric types - a blend of sage, chamomile, or ylang-ylang would help relax, while melancholic and phlegmatic individuals would use rosemary, coffee, ginger, and eucalyptus. Aside from helping with your temperament, scents tend to evoke subconscious memories that we are seldom aware of. The cinnamon blend will most likely bring up childhood memories, while the Christmas tree and birch will most likely set your mood for holidays. When it comes to picking the best scents for your home that can perfectly fit one's desired objectives and individual preferences, you have to keep in mind that general rules are more for guidance than for strict following. Exploring oneself through scents may help establish a unique relationship with them that lasts a lifetime and fill in any temperaments' shadows or even downfalls of life's roller coasters. -Hazelwood Soap Co.

7) Scent, emotion, and memory are deeply and intricately intertwined, which is why the rich scent of ginger and cloves brings back precious moments of coziness. It's a reminder of the start of a new chapter while watching the moody weather outside bundled up with loved ones indoors. And since so many autumn memories are created in the kitchen, what better place to ignite a pumpkin spice latte candle? - Kobi Co.

8) Lemon essential oil is one of the most versatile oils in your kitchen. Not only does it have antibacterial properties, but its fresh fragrance can freshen up any room. Lemon oil also has many uses for cleaning, such as removing dirt and grime from kitchens or multipurpose sprays that are great at getting rid of grease on a stovetop. -Vinevida

The best scents for a bedroom: woody and relaxing florals 

9) Unwind with woody and musky scents. Create a calm, safe, and sensual bedroom atmosphere with earthy tones like Sandalwood, Ozone, or Amber. These woodsy, sometimes musky, fragrances are calming and comforting and inspire positivity to help you feel better instead of just making you drowsy. We recommend our Black Sea or Tobacco & Bay Leaf candles. -Mountain City Candles

10) My most recommended scents are lavender and jasmine. When you choose a scent to use in your bedroom, whether you use candles, mist, or diffusers, you want to ensure that these fragrances help you rest and relax to have a better quality sleep. - House Fragrance

11) Soft amber or black currant. Introducing the warm hues of amber or the floral and woody notes of black currant into a space offers a surprisingly soft bouquet perfect for evoking a tranquil mood. These notes, especially when blended, bring a harmonious aura to the room embodying peace and repose. -Blue Jar Candle

12) Calming, neutral, and earthy scents are essential for grounding yourself in your space. Bamboo, Coconut, and Pacific Woods are great options for turning your bedroom into your personal retreat and are gentle enough that everyone can enjoy them. -Unhinged Craft Candles

13) Incorporate dry diffusing essential oils in eucalyptus, cedar, or lavender for a relaxing oasis. Dry diffusing is one of the sweetest, safest, and simplest ways to enjoy the aroma of essential oils. The scent releases naturally: no heat, no power source, or special equipment required. A folded handkerchief with 6-drops of Eucalyptus oil tucked in your pocket makes a pleasant reminder to breathe deeper. Sweeten the bathroom with cedar, soften the mood with lavender under the pillow, or frost and freshen your shoes with a drop of cooling peppermint. Virtually any absorbent medium such as fabric or paper will do but beware that oils can stain. -Circle Green

14) Try a blend of lavender and white tea. Hard day? Grab your favorite book, light your bedroom candle, get cozy in your favorite soft plush blanket, and enjoy the relaxing "Serenity" aroma. It’s the perfect blend of lavender and white tea, ideal for creating a serene environment. -Petals & Wicks

15) To set the perfect mood for your bedroom, think of fragrances in 3 categories: relaxing, romantic, or refreshing. For romance, try jasmine, amber, or sandalwood. For relaxation, try bergamot, lavender, or chamomile. For refreshing, try eucalyptus, mint, or vetiver. The best scents for the bedroom are going to be different from the scents you'd use in the kitchen or other shared spaces in your home, so it's important to consider the mood you're trying to set in each space. -Candelaria Candles

Originally published by Redfin